Nuclear energy vital to improve India's power scenario

Chandigarh, Apr 11: The Nuclear agreement with the United States (US) will provide a big impetus to increase nuclear power capacity in India which at present is only three per cent on the total installed capacity of 1,23,901 MW.

According to an observation made by Mr S C Verma, former Director of Haryana Viduyut Prasaran Nigam (HVPN) at the Regional seminar on 'New Opportunities in the Power Sector in South Central Asia' here a ten fold increase is needed in the nuclear power sector. Presently just 3,310 MW nuclear energy is being generated in India which is mere three per cent of the total energy generated.

The seminar organised by the Institute of Engineers (India) recently pointed out that nuclear capacity of 3,420 MW is expected to be added in the next two years in the country. Of the total power generation of 15.9 trillion units in the world from all sources,India generates just 3.5 percent with the US accounting for 25 per cent, Western Europe 19 per cent, China 11 per cent and Japan and Russia six per cent each.

According to Mr Verma, India has to concentrate on increasing nuclear power generation besides tapping renewable energy sources like wind energy, biomass energy and solar energy besides hydro energy. Burning of fossil fuels like coal for producing energy must be curtailed as their stocks are depleting, are expensive and gas emissions from them effect the enviornment and also the health of all living beings, he opined.

The country's power demand would touch four lakh MW by 2030 and this will require large scale build-up of thermal stations and tapping other energy sources, he said. India needs to minimise its fossil fuel imports and at the same time maximize generation of hydro and nuclear power in the years to come, he said.

UNI